India bagged a whopping 202 medals including 76 gold medals at the Special Olympics Summer Games 2023 in Berlin-Germany. In the stunning medal haul are 9 gold, 5 silver, and 5 bronze medals clinched by the Goan athletes.
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi congratulated athletes in a tweet, saying: “Congratulations to our incredible athletes who represented India at the Special Olympics Summer Games in Berlin and won 202 medals including 76 Gold Medals. In their success, we celebrate the spirit of inclusivity and applaud the perseverance of these remarkable athletes.”
Team Bharat comprised of 13 athletes and ten officials. The 23-member Goan contingent will arrive to a grand welcome at Dabolim Airport today at 6.20 pm.
Goan ‘Special’ athletes excelled in various disciplines. Venson Paes, Aman Nadaf, Francis Parisapogu and Joel Rodrigues, were all a part of the gold medal-winning football squad.
Siya Sarode won two gold medals in powerlifting, while Geetanjali Nagvekar (800 metres) and Manfil Ferrao (basketball) accounted for the remaining two.
Sarode got a silver medal in powerlifting, Nagvekar bagged a silver in the 400 metres. Aayush Gadekar, silver-medallist, was part of the men’s volleyball, while Taniya Usgaonkar (roller skating) and Aslam Ganjanavar (judo) were the other two silver-medallists.
The five bronze medals for Goa came from Gayban Mulla (mini-javelin), Usgaonkar (roller skating), Sarode (powerlifting) and the two women footballers Gayatri Fatarpekar and Kajal Jadhav.
